At the crack of dawn on Nov. 6, the scene outside of Starbucks stores looked more like the line for the new iPhone. The product of desire was a glass cup shaped like a bear, the Bearista cup. As part of Starbucks’ 2025 holiday merchandise, the cup caused chaos in several Starbucks stores, including customer brawls, a splurge of resellers and a discussion of how this little bear defines modern consumerism.
Retailing for $29.95, the limited edition 20-ounce glass cup looks as its name suggests: a bear wearing a green knit beanie adorned with the Starbucks name. The product’s cuteness and exclusivity caused them to sell out immediately in stores, and customers also claimed that some locations received only one or two of them in their stock.
At some locations, customers were seen fighting over the cup, while others argued with employees, claiming they were being bought by them before the stores opened.
“I waited hourish before open to get the Bearista cup and we witnessed an employee pulling both off the shelf and buying both 2 minutes before store open right in front of us waiting outside. I knew this was a possibility but I’m definitely disappointed,” one user said on Reddit.
After waiting in line for hours, many customers left empty handed because there were limited cups and they expressed disappointment and frustration on social media.
“Not cool marketing Starbucks to only have 1-2 at each store and allow your baristas to buy them before customers. You should have had additional stock for your baristas and at least 10-20 for each store. People camped out all night to not even get one,” said a comment under a Starbucks Instagram post.
Starbucks responded to the chaos and disappointment by issuing an apology to People where they said, “The excitement for our merchandise exceeded even our biggest expectations and despite shipping more Bearista cups to coffeehouses than almost any other merchandise item this holiday season, the Bearista cup and some other items sold out fast.”
“We understand many customers were excited about the Bearista cup and apologize for the disappointment this may have caused,” the Starbucks statement said.
Alternative cups began to pop up online, with some retailers such as Walmart creating their own version of the Bearista cup. Though for people who want a real one, some are being resold on websites such as eBay for more than $200.
“Despite duplicate products being created in response to crazes, they will never truly deteriorate the hype,” said executive assistant of the university’s Marketing Club Garrett Dagenais. “When consumers wait in lines to buy such products, sure it could be because they like the product, but it’s mainly driven by status. I have this rare cup that everybody wants. This stems from the factor of scarcity, and duplicate products only increase that rare value. We’ve seen similar trends recently with Stanley cups and the PS5.”
The situation has also sparked discussions about modern consumerism, specifically how limited edition or exclusive items and the resulting cultural craze are amplified through social media, spreading a “need it” mentality to consumers.
“The frenzy around the Starbucks bear cup shows how consumerism today is about more than just owning a product, rather it’s about identity and belonging,” said president of the Marketing Club Caxton Conner. “People see the cup as a symbol of being part of the Starbucks community, and social media amplifies that feeling by turning it into a cultural moment.
“When feeds are flooded with videos of people lining up or showing off their cups, it creates a fear of missing out, similar to the Labubu trend. The hype isn’t just about the cup itself, but about being seen as part of the trend,” said Conner.
